Reconstruction of Pyrolyzed Bacterial Cellulose (PBC)-Based Three-Dimensional Conductive Network for Silicon Lithium Battery Anodes

Silicon nanostructures and their composites are believed to be very promising anode material candidates for advanced lithium-ion batteries. Yet, anode material systems developed, to date, inevitably require complex and time-consuming synthetic processes, or complicated and expensive instruments, or hazardous chemicals, or electrode fabrication procedures that are incompatible with current slurry-based electrode fabrication techniques. This situation notoriously hinders the practical implementation of silicon in lithium-ion batteries. Herein, a simple, facile, eco-friendly chopping strategy is demonstrated for the construction of silicon nanoparticle impregnated pyrolyzed bacterial cellulose (PBC). The resulting hybrid material exhibits significantly improved lithium storage performance compared with its counterparts; this reflects great potential for the reconstruction of PBC-based three-dimensional conductive networks. This study provides the potential for the simple and efficient construction of electrode materials and systems in a much more viable and sustainable manner.